Ex-Florida Panthers forward checks off two milestones in one night

On Monday night, Sourdif popped his first NHL hat trick and his first five-point game in the same breath. That is two milestones in one shot of adrenaline, and it looked real, not fluky.

Washington needed offense and got it in waves, beating Anaheim 7-4 at home. Sourdif finished with three goals and an assist, and the building basically learned his name again.

If you followed him in Florida's system, the ingredients were always there, quick hands and a nose for space. The problem was opportunity, because the Panthers were stacked and chasing Cups, not teaching patience at the NHL level.

He was a 2020 third-round pick, 87th overall, and he spent most of three seasons working with the Charlotte Checkers. Florida gave him four NHL games, and he even scored a game-winner in Nashville last season, but the runway was short.

As a Panthers watcher, I always felt his biggest edge was confidence, and you could see it spill over shift to shift. Those intangibles matter, because one young guy rolling can lighten a whole bench.

Before he left Florida, Paul Maurice spoke warmly about him, praising his attitude and how much teammates liked him. Maurice also pointed to the rough injury luck that kept interrupting his path, and he sounded genuinely happy Sourdif landed somewhere he could play.

That «somewhere» became Washington last summer, when the Panthers moved him for draft picks and a clean opportunity. It was the kind of trade that can look quiet on the day, then loud later when a kid finally sticks.

Monday was loud, and it came with details you can build on. Two of his goals came early, he kept getting to the net, and he stayed involved defensively instead of floating after scoring.

The best part for Sourdif is the milestones are already in the bank, so the next step is simpler. Keep the habits, keep the pace, and make this night the start of his NHL life, not the peak.